Justice Alliance
by S.N.N.E.E
Summary: On an alternate Earth, President Lex Luthor recruits a Superman raised by Amazons, a Flash with a criminal record, and other heroes and outcasts to defeat a dangerous new enemy.
1. Prologue

_**Hey! Here's a disclaimer! I don't own any characters in this story except for one. Well, three actually, but two of them are barely in it. Anyway, I'm not affiliated with DC Comics in any way, shape, or form.**_

"The Justice Alliance?"

"Yes."

"Seems a bit pretentious."

"What can I say? I like a little flair. Anyway, we can come up with a batter name if we have to."

"Sir, I know how much you admire these people, but I can't help thinking of all the ways that this could go wrong. Like what if other countries hear about it before we're ready to announce? And what if they just plain don't work as a team? I mean, two of the four have criminal records."

"Six."

"Six? My papers say four."

"We're going to add Stone and Wilson. The team needs people to lead it."

"Wait, is Stone the leader? Or is-"

"Both of them."

"Mister President, Slade Wilson may be a soldier, but he's hardly capable of working with others anymore."

"We'll make him capable. He's agreed to counseling and conditioning on the terms that we provide good lives for his estranged children."

"Does Stone know about Wilson?"

"I should think so. He's probably listening to us right now."

"Part of me wonders why we trust _him_ , too."

"Would you believe that it's because I'm just a trusting person?"

"Please. The day Lex Luthor is a trusting person is the day I run for president myself."

"On that day, I just might vote for you, Mercy."


	2. Paidi Apo To Agnostou

_Themyscira, Island of the Amazons_

 _Twenty-nine years ago_

"What do you think it is, mother? An act of war?"

"By who? Only the gods know of us, and if they attacked, believe me, we would know."

Queen Hippolyta and Princess Diana sat atop horses on the shore of Paradise Island. The two women had just witnessed something strange. Moments ago, something had fallen from the sky. Something roughly the size of a chariot. Specifically Apollo's chariot, Hippolyta had thought, seeing as how parts of it were on fire. But as it had fallen closer and closer to the island, the queen and her daughter had noted the peculiar shape of the object. Diana had suggested that they investigate immediately and get whatever answers they could, so as not to appear clueless when the others on the island inevitably started asking questions. The queen had agreed, and they had ridden out as swiftly as possible. They had stopped several yards short of the object, wary of what could very well have been a threat.

"If it is a weapon, it is certainly not one designed by Hephaestus," said Hippolyta.

"Could it be possible that someone else found us?" asked Diana.

"I don't know," Hippolyta answered, climbing down from her horse. Drawing her sword, she slowly approached the object. "We shall find out, I suppose."

"Mother, let me."

"No, Diana. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you."

"And what if something happens to _you_?"

The queen didn't answer. When she approached the object, she found herself speechless.

"Mother? What is it?" Diana asked anxiously.

"A vessel," came Hippolyta's awestruck reply.

"Carrying what?"

Hippolyta bent down to pick up what was inside the object, then walked back to show her daughter. In her arms, she held a baby.

…

 _Themyscira_

 _The day after_

"I have conferred with the gods, and they say they know not from where the child comes. I, for one, choose to believe them."

Hippolyta stood high on a pedestal, speaking to the Amazons, and holding the baby she had found the previous night.

"Believe them? How many children has Zeus fathered without Hera's knowing? This could easily be his," came a voice from the crowd.

"The child is male," the queen pointed out. "No son of a god would be sent here. They know better."

"And besides, the vessel is not of Olympus," spoke Diana. "It is not of mankind either, it would seem. The technology is far too advanced. His origin is unknown to us."

"And so he shall be named as such," said Hippolyta. "Paidi apo to agnostou, Child from the Unknown."

"Now wait mother, surely you don't intend to keep him?" asked Diana.

"I do," the queen said to her daughter. "Don't you see?" she said, this time to everyone, "we have been gifted a great opportunity. A child, a boy, from the stars, is ours to raise. He is neither of mankind nor of the gods, therefore he is not beholden to their rules or standards. The universe bestowed him solely to us. This is our chance to raise a man how we see fit. In time, he could be the ambassador to Man's World that we have surely needed! So we _will_ raise him. We will teach him, train him, discipline him, and love him. Behold, my sisters, Paidagnos, Brother of the Amazons!"

…

 _Themyscira_

 _Sixteen years ago_

"Mother, I'm afraid," Paidagnos's voice waivered.

"Worry not. All will be answered soon."

Queen Hippolyta led her adopted son down a hallway in a temple he had been forbidden from entering until now. For over a decade, the Amazons had trained him in their ways, but none of them could have been prepared for what he had recently proved capable of. Paidagnos had developed extraordinary strength, speed, tough skin, even the ability to fly. He had begun to wonder if he really was descended from the gods, despite what the Amazons told him. But his mother had promised him answers, and now he would have them.

When the two of them reached their destination, Paidagnos was surprised. He had seen many a room designed like this one, save for the contents of it. In one corner sat what appeared to be a vessel, barely bigger than a chariot. In another corner, there stood what appeared to be a large crystal.

"Pai," Hippolyta said, "it's time you knew all of this. You were not made from clay like your sister. You fell from the sky."

"I don't understand."

"This," the queen pointed to the vessel, "is what you arrived in. In the dead of night, Diana and I found you, just a baby, in that vessel. We had watched you fall from the sky. We knew not where you came from then. But we do now. When we went back to retrieve this, we found that," she pointed to the crystal in the other corner now.

Hippolyta led Paidagnos to the crystal and told him to put his hand on it. When he did, an image of an old man's face flashed above the crystal, seemingly projected from it.

"Kal-El," the old man began, "I wish I could see you grow up for myself, but if you survive at all, it's important that you know who you are."

As the man continued to speak, the boy watched, eyes wide. Hippolyta had known this day would come, and even though part of her regretted it, she knew that it was necessary. She watched as her Child of the Unknown reacted to the message from his doomed birth father that she herself had watched many times, and she knew that from now on, his life would never be the same.

…

 _Themyscira_

 _Four years ago_

"Part of me wonders if I am really ready," Paidagnos said to his sister and mother. He was clad in red and blue armor to match Diana's, but his had been adorned with the symbol of the House of El, as he had seen in the message from his birth father.

"You are, I know it," Hippolyta reassured him. "You have been preparing for this day for twenty-five years, Pai. Besides, no matter how unready _you_ may feel, imagine how _Man's World_ will react. They have not witnessed a being of your power for hundreds of years. Generations have come and gone without the gods watching over them."

"I know. That will be _my_ job now. Watching over them."

"Not to burden you further, Pai," spoke Diana, "but if you do not go now, you may miss your chance. You age as quickly as the humans do. You wouldn't want to wait until you are too old."

Paidagnos smiled. "You're right. I am ready. I must be."

"Yes, you must," said Hippolyta. "The world is in desperate need of a superior man. One raised without the troubles and vices they are so used to."

"Then I suppose it's time for me to go be that man." Paidagnos moved toward Hippolyta and Diana and hugged them tightly.

"Pai… Kal-El," the queen held back tears. "Go, my child. Go be the world's Superior Man."

The Boy from the Unknown said his final goodbyes to the women that raised him, then he rose to fly away. As he was almost out of sight, he turned around to wave one last time, holding back tears of his own.

…

 _Gotham City, New Jersey, United States of America_

 _Present day_

Kal-El the Superior Man walked discreetly down the street. He was dressed in civilian clothing (a hoodie, jeans, and a pair of glasses) so as not to be recognized. He was proud to be someone that Man's World looked up to, but like everyone else, he sometimes needed solitude.

Now was one of those times. He was in Gotham City following the strange case of what the media called the Bat-Man. Some idiot (a native of Gotham, a city that seemed to breed nutjobs) had dressed up as a giant bat, attempted to stop some armed bank robbers, and gotten himself killed.

Now, Kal wasn't particularly interested in the Bat-Man himself, but rather the bank robbers. Rumor had it that they were aliens. They weren't, of course. People in this city were just paranoid. Nevertheless, he had foiled their latest attempted robbery and turned them over to the GCPD. Now, as he walked back to the hotel he was staying in, he was just as amazed as ever by how many people ignored him. It was kind of incredible, really. Throw on a pair of glasses and relax your posture a bit, and surprisingly few people actually recognize you.

As he entered the lobby of the hotel, the desk clerk called out to him. "Yo, are you in two-twenty-one?"

"That's me," Kal answered, walking to the desk.

"Letter was delivered for you."

Kal took the envelope from the clerk, thanked him, and made his was upstairs to his room. Once inside, he opened the letter and began reading.

"Paidagnos of Paradise Island," he read aloud. Not many people in Man's World addressed him by his Greek name. He usually went by Kal. It seemed more friendly, in a way. As he read through the letter, he became excited. It was from Lex Luthor, President of the United States, and a man whom Kal had become friends with after their many encounters. Kal briefly studied the letter to verify its authenticity, then he gathered his things and went to check out of the hotel. The Superior Man had somewhere very important to be.


	3. Just Run

_**These next three chapters are just more character origins. I had a lot of fun writing these, so obviously I'd like for you to read them, but if this kind of thing doesn't interest you, feel free to jump to Chapter 6. That's where the story really starts.**_

 _Central City, Missouri, United States of America_

 _Fifteen years ago_

Barry Allen dreaded moments like this. He was walking home after another stupid day at stupid school, and he knew that his stupid parents were going to berate him. He had been caught going through another student's book bag again, and his teacher had called his mother.

Barry couldn't help it. Some of the other kids just had better stuff. Their parents let them bring handheld games, books with bad words, and real non-diet soda cans to school. His parents were boring.

When he made it to his block, he saw a peculiar sight. Police lights. Surely his parents wouldn't get the police involved, would they? Barry knew he had a bit of a stealing problem, but he never took anything important. As he got closer to his house, he saw the yellow tape. _Crime scene_ , it said. _Do not cross_.

Barry started running. He stopped just short of the tape, and he looked back and forth from the house to the two police officers standing in the yard. "Hey!" he called to the officers.

"Barry? Barry!" he heard. He looked toward the source of the noise and saw his father seated, and presumably handcuffed, in the back of one of the two police cars.

Barry ducked under the tape and tried to run up to the car, but one of the officers grabbed him by his arms. "Dad!" he cried out.

"Your father needs to come with us, kid," the other officer said calmly. "I'm afraid he's done something very bad."

"I didn't do it Barry! It wasn't me! You have to believe me!"

"Wh-what happened?" Barry managed to ask.

"Barry," the officer who grabbed him spoke slowly, loosening his grip and turning the frightened boy to face him, "your mother has been killed."

"What!?"

"It wasn't me, son! I promise!"

"You're lying!" Barry shouted at the officer, breaking free and running to the front door.

"Kid, stop!"

But Barry Allen didn't stop. He went right inside, and he was greeted with a sight that would haunt him for the rest of his life. In the kitchen stood two more officers, marking evidence and inspecting a body lying on the floor.

His mother's body.

…

 _Central City, Missouri_

 _Seven years ago_

Barry had no idea what to do with himself. Today was his eighteenth birthday. He was finally out of the foster system, and yet he felt just as trapped as ever.

Life after his mother's murder had not been easy for him. He had been bounced around from home to home, never staying in any of them long enough to bond with anyone. Every time a foster parent caught on to his kleptomaniacal tendencies, it was off to the next house. He had known that today would be it. Following a talk with his social worker and a session in the courtroom, the system could no longer take care of him. He had known his social worker to pull strings for others in the system, to help them out a little longer, but he understood why she couldn't do any more for him.

The way Barry saw it, he had very few options. He had barely graduated from high school a month ago (he never stayed at one of those for very long either), and he knew that with his record, no respectable college would take him. He figured he could try taking some community college courses in the fall, or maybe even get an early start with some summer courses, but that still left him with the matters of where he was going to stay, and how he was going to pay for anything. As he trudged down the streets of Central City wearing a small backpack containing the few things that he could prove actually belonged to him, he kept an eye open for help wanted signs.

Finally, after several hours of searching, he found a place that was hiring. A convenience store and gas station needed a nighttime janitor. Slim pickin's, Barry thought, but beggars can't be choosers.

After a brief conversation with the manager, Barry was practically hired. He spent the next hour or so learning all that he would have to do. As he familiarized himself with the place, Barry noted the multiple security cameras. For all he could find to complain about in this place, maybe he would finally be motivated to put his bad habit to rest.

…

 _Central City, Missouri_

 _Three years ago_

"I'm not so sure about this, James," Barry whispered to the man standing next to him.

"Come on, man," James said aloud, not bothering with caution, "A few minutes ago you were excited."

"That was before I knew how big this place was."

The two men were standing across the street from a police station on a rainy night. Barry looked over at his companion. James Jesse (a fake name, Barry was almost certain) was a clerk at the convenience store who Barry had managed to become sort of friends with. They hadn't had many conversations, but they had bonded over two things: they were thieves, and they hated their jobs. _I can see it in your eyes when you look at nice things_ , James had said to Barry one day. _I know where we can get all kinds of nice things,_ he had said.

"Don't pussy out on me now, man. Come on. You know your part?"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get it over with."

"Remember, it doesn't matter if they see you as long as they don't catch you. When the time comes, just run."

"Alright already. Let's go."

The two men put their ski masks on and ran across the street. James managed to scale the wall and go in through the window, leaving Barry to go right in through the front door and be the bait.

For a police station, security seemed pretty relaxed. Barry was surprised to only see one police officer upon entering the building.

The guard seemed equally surprised. Why would a guy in a ski mask just waltz right into a police station? The guard hesitated, then started moving toward Barry.

 _Shit, here we go_ , Barry thought, and he ran right past the guard toward the stairs.

"Hey, stop right there!" the guard called out, running after Barry and pulling his gun.

The guard fired off a couple of shots, but Barry managed to make it up the stairs, duck into the first room on his left, and lock the door.

The guard banged on the door, and Barry took a quick look at his watch. Twenty-one seconds had passed.

Frustrated, the guard fired a shot at the door. As soon as it opened, Barry tripped the guard, kicked his gun out of his hand, and ran further down the hall. He rounded a corner and made sure the guard didn't see which room he ran into next. He checked his watch again. Thirty-seven seconds.

This room appeared to be some kind of lab, with shelves of chemicals lining the walls. There was also a window, and Barry could see that the storm outside had gotten worse. There was thunder and lightning now. Despite the noisy storm, he heard as the guard came down the hall, kicking open every door he passed. Barry watched as the seconds continued to tick by. Forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine…

He heard the guard's voice calling for backup. Good, he thought, more people focused on him instead of James.

Finally, the guard kicked open the right door, and he looked Barry right in the eye. There were two more officers with him now, and they all pointed their guns at Barry, who took one more peek at his watch. Sixty-two seconds. Surely James had found what he wanted and gotten out by now.

Desperate, Barry moved toward the window. Everything that happened next seemed to happen in slow motion. The guard fired one more shot, but instead of hitting Barry, it hit the shelf of chemicals behind him. As Barry was showered with falling flasks full of unfamiliar substances, he made his final escape. He jumped out the window, breaking it, and falling two stories to the ground outside. Before he reached the ground though, something unlikely happened. Barry was struck by lightning.

For a moment, all Barry could feel was pain. The burning of the chemicals, the cuts from shards of glass, the pelting rain, the jolt the lightning strike sent through his body, all of it hurt.

By the time he hit the ground, though, he felt no pain at all. Was it shock? Severe burns that nullified his nerve endings? He didn't know. He didn't care. He stood up effortlessly, then turned to look up at the window where he saw the officers looking down at him. As he stood there, all he could think of were the words James had said to him earlier. _When the time comes, just run_.

So Barry Allen ran.

…

 _Central City, Missouri_

 _Present day_

"Come on, Flash, can't you let me off with a warning?"

"Sorry, buddy. You know how this works. Give me the shoes."

Barry Allen had spent the last three years as a masked crimefighter, following the accident that gave him super speed. Now, he was stopping his former coworker James Jesse from robbing a penthouse uptown.

"The shoes, Jesse. Take them off," the Flash said again, referring to the technologically advanced jester-style shoes James wore. They allowed him to alter the atoms in the air at the base of the shoes, effectively letting James walk on air.

"Alright, you got what you want," James said after giving the Flash his fancy footwear. "Now let me go?"

"No can do. The police are on their way, so you're staying right here. I, on the other hand, have somewhere to be. Bye now."

The Flash was gone in an instant, and James, who was left tied to a chair, didn't even notice him take some of the high end penthouse's fancy silverware for himself on the way out.

It was true that the Flash had somewhere to be. Yesterday he had gotten a letter saying that the President himself knew who he was and wanted to meet with him. Barry had been skeptical, but if it turned out to be a trap, it wasn't like he couldn't escape.

On his way to drop off his pilfered shoes, forks, and knives at his own apartment before heading to the location given to him in the letter, the Flash chuckled at the irony of what had just happened. Old habits die hard, he supposed. He still never took anything important, and that, he decided, was what separated him from thieves like James Jesse.

He would definitely have to try out the shoes soon.


	4. The Champion

_**The Mgomo family are the only characters in this story of whom I, the author, claim ownership. Once again, I am not affiliated with DC Entertainment.**_

 _The Rock of Eternity_

 _Several thousand years ago_

"Shazam, I strongly disagree with this decision," spoke one member of the Council of Wizards.

"As do I," spoke another.

"It matters not to me what you think," said the wizard Shazam himself, softly. He had grown tired of yelling.

"Without naming a champion, you are choosing to hold onto your power indefinitely. You are dooming yourself to sit here possibly until the end of time," said the first wizard.

"Then I shall sit."

"Black Adam was a bad seed," spoke a third wizard. "The odds of you choosing someone like that again-"

"-are higher than you might think. The world is wicked. I shall wait until I sense the Embers burning at their brightest," Shazam said stubbornly.

"The magic lingering within you that long, coupled with the isolation you will be met with after the rest of us have passed, it will surely drive you mad," said the second wizard.

"If I go mad, so be it. My decision has been made," Shazam said firmly. "I will wait."

There was silence for a moment.

"So be it," the first wizard gave up. "Shazam waits."

The others nodded, then the first wizard dismissed them. All went their separate ways, except for Shazam.

Shazam sat, and he waited.

…

 _The Rock of Eternity_

 _Fourteen years ago_

Shazam had been waiting for a very, very long time.

The other members of the Council of Wizards had died long ago. Part of him was glad they were gone, because if they could see him now, they would see that they had been right. Shazam was miserable, and with every passing moment, he feared that his sanity would leave him for good.

But suddenly, he could feel something. Something he hadn't felt since the second-longest living wizard had chosen her final champion. That was centuries ago.

All the same, there was no mistaking it. He could sense the Embers of Goodness burning.

A champion had been born.

He would have to wait a good thirteen years more before this champion was ready, but he didn't care. He could wait, because the next Champion of Magic, whoever it was, might prove to be the greatest of them all. They would have to be, because they would be the last.

…

 _The Rock of Eternity_

 _One year ago_

Rio Mgomo was shocked at what she was seeing. A moment ago, she had been at home, heading downstairs to the basement to help her father do some maintenance work. Now, she appeared to be in some sort of cave, and there was some old guy sitting in a big chair, saying things in different languages.

Finally, he said something she understood. "What is your name, girl?"

"My name is Rio."

"Ah, English. Not a language I have spoken many times. No matter. You're full name please."

"Rio Destiny Mgomo," she said immediately. It was like she could feel how important this was, and she didn't hesitate to answer.

"Very good. Now, let us make this quick. My name is Shazam, and you, Rio, have the Embers of Goodness burning brightly within you. I have chosen you to become my Champion."

"What does that mean?" Rio asked.

"All will be explained in greater detail later. For now, just know that I am bestowing great power upon you. You will be able to do things you never imagined. To summon this power, you must speak my name."

"And you said you name was… Shazam?"

"Say it with purpose, Rio!"

"Sha- Shazam!"

"With purpose! Summon your power!"

Rio rolled her eyes, then shouted at the top of her lungs, "SHAZAM!"

Rio felt something surging through her body, almost like an electrical shock, but instead of pain, she felt… power.

"I feel so good! What just happened?" Rio cupped her hands over her mouth. Her voiced sounded a little different.

"Turn and see yourself, Champion," Shazam gestured to a mirror slightly behind Rio.

Rio turned around, and was, again, shocked with what she saw. She saw herself, kind of, but not really. She was… older? Certainly taller. Her breasts were definitely bigger. And were those muscles?

She flexed a bit, admiring her body, and her outfit as well. She appeared to be dressed in an extravagant version of the purple top and grey leggings she had been wearing before, and her chest was adorned with a glimmering lightning bolt. "Damn," she said. "I look good. Am I an adult?"

"This is you're greatest potential self," answered the wizard. "Use this power wisely, Rio Destiny Mgomo. I regret that I must leave you now."

"I'm sorry, what now?"

"My time has come. The magic is yours now. You will be the last Champion of Magic."

"What? You can't do that! You can't just ' _Thirteen Going on Thirty_ ' my ass and then leave!"

"You can return to your natural state at any time. Simply speak the word of power, and you can change at will."

"So… SHAZAM!?" There was the surge of power again, only this time, it was surging out of her. She was back to her normal, juvenile self. "Huh. Well that's _awesome_."

"It is indeed. Farewell, Rio." With that, the wizard turned to dust, leaving Rio alone.

"Weird." She said, before her vision went fuzzy for a moment. When she could see clearly again, she was back in the basement of her house.

"Could you hand me that wrench, Rio?"

"What?"

"The wrench, right next to your feet. I need it, honey," her father said to her, as if she had been there with him the whole time.

…

 _Pasadena, California, United States of America_

 _Later that night_

Rio was flying.

She didn't even have to focus very hard. She just somehow knew what she was doing.

She had transformed into her magical adult self again and left her house after her parents had gone to sleep. She just had to make sure this was real. Everything had happened so quickly, she had begun to worry that she had imagined it. But now, she could see miles of city below her, and she could feel the wind on her face and in her hair. This was very real.

Her outfit was different now. She had changed into an orange dress to test out a theory, and she had been right. Whatever outfit she wore when she transformed, her adult self would be wearing a fancier version of the same thing, with the added touch of the lightning bolt symbol on her chest.

She landed in a junkyard where she knew no one would disturb her. "I wonder what else I can do…" she muttered out loud.

"I can teach you, if you'd like," came a woman's voice from somewhere.

"Who's there?" Rio asked, prepared for a fight. "I bet I can take you."

"Come to the vehicle, my dear."

Rio walked cautiously to a nearby busted up car, and saw what appeared to be a woman's face in the sideview mirror.

"Um, hi?"

"Rio Destiny Mgomo," the mirror woman started.

"Just Rio is fine."

"For now. We will have to come up with a pseudonym for you eventually. To keep your identity a secret."

"And _your_ identity is…"

"My name is Francesca. I can teach you how to use your power to its full extent."

"Huh," breathed Rio. She trusted this Francesca for some reason. "Okay, I'm game. So when do we start?"

"Now, if you'd like. You seem to have picked up flying rather easily. Would you like to try the lightning?"

"The what now?"

"The Living Lightning. It courses through you. Try it. Choose a target."

Rio, completely willing to learn whatever this woman had to teach her, pointed to a pile of mattresses about twenty yards away from her. She felt a jolt, and a burst of lightning left her body and struck one of the mattresses, lighting the whole pile on fire.

"Daaaaaaaamn," Rio whispered. This was going to be fun.

…

 _Pasadena, California_

 _Present day_

"Lightning Woman. Nah, that's boring. Lady something. Power Lady! Oh, god, no."

Rio was laying on her bed listening to music, trying to come up with a superhero name for herself. Francesca had told her it was a good idea to do this almost a year ago, but she kept putting it off. By now, the world was well aware of the existence of a woman who could fly, lift trucks, and shoot lightning bolts, but Rio was fairly confident that nobody knew it was really her.

She was so deep in thought that she almost didn't hear her mother knocking on her door. "Rio, honey, you have mail."

Rio got up, opened the door, took the envelope her mother had, and started to close the door again, but her mother put her hand out to keep it open.

Rio looked up to see what else the woman wanted. "Sweetie, I really think I need to know what that is."

"Why? Who's it from?" Rio asked, looking down at the unopened envelope in her hand.

Rio didn't know what was in the envelope, but she had a feeling it was something she wouldn't want her mother to know about. The return address read 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC. The White House.


	5. Father and Son

_**Hey! It's me! The author! I actually drafted two versions of this chapter, with very different endings. Here's the version that WASN'T fueled by 2AM depression!**_

 _Detroit, Michigan, United States of America_

 _Three years ago_

"You can't keep focusing on this sort of thing, Victor."

"The hell I can't. It's my life."

Silas Stone and his son Victor were standing in the empty parking lot of Victor's high school, arguing. Again.

An hour ago, Victor's track and field team had done exceptionally well at their meet. And his father had missed it. Again.

This, of course, had led to another argument about the subject they disagreed on most: Victor's future.

"It may be your life, son, but it's my name. My reputation."

"Why does _your_ reputation depend on me!?"

"Because you have so much potential, Victor! Everyone raves about how smart you are. Everyone can see that you're meant to do great things! But if you waste that on a career in sports, you might have fans, son, but the people that matter will blame _me_ for not pushing you towards science. People will ask, 'Why did Silas let his brilliant boy grow up to be another ball playing thug?'. Is that what you want?"

"But I don't care about science, dad! How come just because I'm good at something, I have to like it? Why can't you be proud of me for being good at something else? Something I _do_ like? Everyone else's parents are at every meet cheering them on. During football season too. But where are you? Working. It's like you love your job more than you love me!"

"I have had it! You are seventeen years old, Victor! Grow up!"

Victor didn't answer. He was tired of this argument. It was the same thing every time. Jaw set, brow furrowed, he started walking to his father's car.

Silas thought about saying more, but he held his tongue. After thinking for a moment, Silas joined his son in the car, and started the engine.

As Silas was driving his son home, there was silence. The two loved each other. Nothing could change that. But things had been different in the years since Victor's mother died. There was a lingering sadness that neither of them could escape from, and it affected every aspect of their lives.

After a while, Silas finally spoke. "We're going to have to go through the city proper. Car needs gas."

More silence. Then, when they were stopped at a light, it was Victor who spoke. "Dad, look!"

Silas looked up to where Victor was pointing, and they were greeted with the sight of a man flying through the sky.

"That's him! Superior Man!" said Victor, visibly excited.

"Figures that a white guy with abilities like that would call himself superior," Silas scoffed.

"They say that he was raised on an island by gods."

"That's ridiculous."

"How else do you explain the man _flying_?"

"Flying a little close, if you ask me."

Silas was right. The so-called "Superior Man" had gotten closer, and it didn't look like he was stopping. In fact, he appeared to be losing control.

"Victor, get out of the car," Silas suddenly said, unbuckling his own seat belt.

"What? Why?"

"Come on. He's coming right at us. We can't wait for the light. Let's go!"

For once, Victor tried to obey his father's orders, but he wasn't fast enough. While Silas and a few others made it safely away from the street, Victor hadn't completely gotten out of the car in time to avoid the falling Superior Man.

The front end of Silas's car was ruined, and Victor surely had broken bones, but he still appeared to be mostly okay.

"Victor!" Silas shouted. He started to run to his son, but someone stopped him.

"Don't go out there! Look!" Silas heard a voice behind him say.

"Your time has come, Superior Man!" came a booming voice from the sky.

"Let me go! My son-" Silas said, trying to break free from the stranger's grip.

The Superior Man had gotten up by now, and he flew up in the direction of his attacker, dodging a weapon that had been thrown at him. A weapon that exploded the second it hit the ground.

"VICTOR!"

As the smoke from the explosion faded away, Silas finally managed to break free and run to where his son had been standing. He could tell by the smell in the air that the weapon hadn't been an ordinary bomb. There were chemicals in the explosion that might have done a number on the Superior Man.

Making it around to the other side of the car, Silas was simultaneously disgusted and amazed by what he saw. Victor was writhing on the ground, his flesh boiling and his limbs curled up. He was obviously in great pain, but he was alive.

"Son," Silas said, kneeling down.

Victor managed to turn his head and look at his father with his one working eye. He opened his mouth, and let out a barely audible plea, "Dad?"

Silas closed his eyes. He was on the verge of tears. His son had nearly died, and the man who called himself Superior was responsible.

…

 _Detroit, Michigan_

 _Eighteen months ago_

"We're doing _what_!?"

"You heard me, Victor. We are moving to Washington, DC."

"Why?"

"I should have told you this up front, but it was part of the deal for getting your cybernetics approved."

A year and a half ago, Victor Stone had nearly died in an incident involving the arrogantly named Superior Man. Silas had been able to save his son's life by enhancing, and in some cases replacing parts of Victor's body with experimental technology. Both arms, both legs, his left eye, even one of his lungs, it was all robotic now.

"Why _didn't_ you tell me sooner?" Victor demanded.

"Because I didn't think you would overreact, son. Your life won't be that different. You'll still have plenty of time to sit in a lab and tinker, you'll just be a little more… exposed."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I'll be working very closely with the government, and from time to time, they might want access to you."

"And what if I don't want to give them access?"

"Please don't make this any more complicated, Victor. I'm not too happy about it either. I would love to stay here. I would love for you to stay in your comfort zone and keep making progress."

Silas was referring to the modifications Victor himself had made to his robotic parts. Victor had a lot more free time than he used to have, and he spent a lot of it in his father's lab, improving his cybernetics and the capabilities that came with them. By now, he could do things like lift almost a thousand pounds, fire deadly lasers, and wirelessly tap into most computer systems.

"I don't want to move, Victor," Silas continued, "but it isn't my choice. And if you don't come with me, then we're both in big trouble with the government."

Victor was angry, but he wasn't surprised. He knew that his father had owed some people favors after what it took to approve the procedures that saved his life, but it was just like the man to keep it a secret that he owed service to the United States government.

All the same, Victor knew that resisting could only lead to bad news. "When do we leave?" he sighed.

…

 _Washington, District of Columbia_

 _Present day_

"Mister President, Slade Wilson may be a soldier, but he's hardly capable of working with others anymore."

"We'll make him capable."

Victor couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had listened to this conversation between President Luthor and his assistant Mercy Graves a dozen times, and he still was dumbfounded by Luthor's decision. Did the man not trust him to be a capable leader? Sure, he was only twenty years old as opposed to Wilson's fifty-something, but eavesdropping aside, Victor was clearly a better candidate to lead the team that the President was planning to put together.

And it wasn't even that Slade Wilson had been chosen _instead_ of him. No, Victor had to look forward to the indignity of working _with_ the disgraced soldier. But the real kicker was what came next.

"Does Stone know about Wilson?"

"I should think so. He's probably listening to us right now."

So the President knew that Victor would find out this way. The man apparently relied on being spied on, instead of having the guts to tell Victor to his face.

"Part of me wonders why we trust _him_ , too," Victor heard the assistant ponder.

"Me too, Mercy," Victor said quietly. "Me too."


	6. A Gathering of Heroes

_Washington, DC_

Rio was anxious to finally be in the nation's capitol, partly because of what she expected the next few days to be like, but mostly because she had just been on an airplane for five hours.

It wasn't all bad, of course. She had been put in first class, there was a movie, and she had gotten a free lunch, but it killed her to be sitting on a plane instead of just flying here herself. She knew, though, that that would have been a bad idea. Number one, she wasn't sure she would have known how to get here, number two, it would have taken her that much longer assuming she did, and number three, she couldn't risk the exposure.

The letter Rio had received from the White House had said something about her winning an essay contest and getting to spend the whole week in DC learning about things like the nation's history and how the government works. The problem was that there was no essay contest that Rio knew of. When her mother looked it up online though, there was an official government website with an article all about how Rio was the big winner. She had played along for her parents' sake, but she knew that whatever this was, it was likely that it had something to do with her magical powers.

After retrieving her luggage, Rio looked for signs of where she was supposed to go. The Presidential Seal, a sign with her name on it, anything. Instead, she was surprised by a woman's voice.

"Rio Mgomo?" the voice came from behind her, causing her to jump.

She turned around to see a very beautiful Japanese woman wearing a black dress and sunglasses.

"That's me," Rio answered quietly.

"Come with me please," the woman said sharply, turning on her heel and swiftly walking away. Rio almost had to run to keep up.

"Where are we going?" Rio had the nerve to ask once they were outside.

The woman didn't answer. She led Rio to where a limousine was waiting for them.

"Luggage," the woman said. The driver popped the trunk, and Rio put her bags in.

"Get in," came the woman's next command. Rio opened the backseat door and sat inside as she was told, and the woman got in behind her.

"Now can you tell me what's going on?" Rio asked hesitantly.

"My name is Mercy Graves," the woman answered. "You're going to meet some very important people, Miss Mgomo. And with your, ahem, talents, I'm sure they'll all be excited to meet you as well."

Mercy was quiet for the remainder of the ride. Rio thought it best that she remain quiet as well.

When they finally arrived at their destination, Rio had no idea where they were. The building looked official, but it wasn't the White House or the Capitol Building or any of the important ones she had learned about in school.

"Welcome to the currently unnamed headquarters of the Justice Alliance, Miss Mgomo," Mercy said. "You may want to change before we go inside."

"All of my clothes are in the trunk," Rio said.

"I think you know that's not what I meant."

Rio frowned. This woman obviously knew her secret. But she still figured that her safest bet was to go along with it for now.

"SHAZAM!"

"Impressive," Mercy marveled at the now adult woman sitting across from her.

The two women then got out of the limo and headed into the building. Upon entering, Rio was greeted with a pleasant surprise. The famous Superior Man, of all people, was standing in the lobby, seemingly expecting them. "Excellent!" he said, smiling. He nodded to acknowledge Mercy before coming to shake Rio's hand. "I get to meet another of Lex's recruits. Please call me Kal. All of my friends do. And your name is?"

"Uh, Captain Lightning," Rio blurted out. Great, she thought. There was no going back now. All that time spent trying to come up with the perfect name, and now she was stuck with Captain Lightning.

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Kal.

Still a little starstruck, Rio managed to ask, "What was that about recruits?"

"That, 'Captain'," came another voice from across the room, "is precisely why you are here." Rio turned to see none other than President Luthor himself coming to greet her. "Has everyone been introduced?"

"Yes sir." Mercy answered him.

"Kal, where did the Flash go?" Luthor asked.

"I'm back," another man said, seeming to appear out of nowhere. He was dressed in a bright red and yellow costume and mask, adorned with little wings on his head and a lightning bolt on his chest, smaller and styled differently than the bolt Rio sported. "Had to use the restroom. Who's this?"

"Flash, this is Captain Lightning," Kal said.

Rio cringed upon hearing the name again, but she managed to wave and let out a meager, "Hi there."

"If you will all follow me to the meeting room," Luthor instructed, leading the way down one of the corridors.

Upon turning a corner, the group found themselves in a very spacious area with a large table in the center and an even larger television screen on the wall. Standing at the head of the table were two men. One, clearly the older of the two, sported grey hair and a goatee, and an eye patch on his right eye. He was dressed in a very casual wife beater and jeans, and he stood with his hands behind his back. The other man, much younger, Rio noted was African-American. Refreshing, as she wasn't used to being around so many grown white men at a time. What was odd about the younger man, though, was that half of his body appeared to be robotic. To see the two standing next to each other, one without his left eye and the other without his right, was interesting.

"I'd like to introduce you all to Slade Wilson and Victor Stone. They'll be in charge here," said Luthor. "Gentlemen, you've met Mercy. This is the Superior Man, the Flash, and Captain Lightning. There was one more person I was hoping to have join us today, but I'm afraid she was unable to make it. Please, everyone find a seat."

Luthor and Kal sat on one side of the table. Rio and the Flash sat on the other. Mercy, Slade, and Victor remained standing.

"Gentlemen. Ladies," said Slade, "Welcome to the first official gathering of what our esteemed President has dubbed the 'Justice Alliance'. In case any of you are still in the dark, we've all been gathered here because we have special talents. The President believes that we are capable of truly great things, including but not limited to finding and defeating a new threat."

"What kind of new threat?" asked the Flash.

"The kind that I would prefer the general public not know about," said Luthor. "Now seems like as good a time as any to tell you all that this group and its actions should remain a secret to the people. In time, we will reveal you publicly, but for now, we don't want to risk our enemy finding out."

"Said enemy," continued Slade, "has already attacked a secret government facility and stolen something dangerous."

An image appeared on the screen above Slade and Victor. It was a picture of a woman, but she appeared to be made of metal.

"This is Project: Platinum," said Victor. "Aside from some of us in this room, she's the most dangerous weapon the United States has at its disposal. Unlike any of us, the problem that comes with her being in enemy hands is that she's programmable. The lead scientist on the project, Doctor William Magnus, was also taken."

Another picture popped up, this time of a brown-haired man with an old fashioned pipe in his mouth.

"In the event that our enemy tortures or otherwise convinces Magnus into turning Platinum against us," said Slade, "we're screwed."

"And that's where we come in," assumed Kal. "What you want us to do, Mister President, is find the kidnapper, stop the robot, and return Doctor Magnus alive. Correct?"

"Correct," said Luthor. "And if we could try to keep Project: Platinum from being damaged beyond repair, that would be nice too."

"Okay, but how do we find them?" asked Rio.

"I never lost them," said Victor. "There's a homing chip in Platinum so that Doctor Magnus would be able to keep track of her on missions. I picked up the signal as soon as the facility was attacked."

"Is that one of your robo-powers?" asked the Flash.

"Yes," Victor answered, frowning.

"Cool. So where is she?"

"Italy. An old, isolated house south of a town called Vicari."

"Alright," said Luthor, standing up. "I think that covers everything. I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you longer, but I have responsibilities. Mercy, show them all to their rooms please. Try to get some rest, folks. You fly out first thing in the morning."


	7. Mission: Italy

_30,000 feet above Italy_

"You don't expect to carry that whole thing into battle, do you?" Slade asked, acknowledging the large trunk the Flash had dragged onto the jet with him.

"Of course not," Barry replied. "When we meet the bad guy, I'll assess the situation, then come back for what I need." As he had explained when he first brought it onboard, the trunk contained various weapons and tools that Barry had "confiscated" from Central City's colorful array of criminals over the last three years. "I've got some pretty neat stuff in here," he said, opening the trunk to show off some of his prizes.

"What's that?" Rio asked, looking at the small, shiny item taped to the inside of the lid.

"That's just a microchip. I'm not actually sure what it does."

"If you give it to me, I can probably read it and tell you," said Victor.

"Sure, whatever," Barry agreed, tossing Victor the chip. "Now these," he said, taking out and twirling a pair of advanced looking pistols, "are what I'm really hoping to get to use." He turned the safety off on one of them and fired it at the floor of the jet, creating a small patch of ice.

"Weapons like that should really be stored in a safer place," noted Slade.

"Ah, you're just jealous," Barry scoffed. "Want to try one out?"

"I'll stick with what I know, thank you very much," Slade answered, reaching back and patting the sword and AR-15 that were strapped to his back. If those weren't intimidating enough, Slade's custom orange and black combat armor was also adorned with several smaller weapons, including knives, pistols, and grenades. "What about you, Mister Superior Man? Where are your weapons? Weren't you supposedly raised by warriors?"

"I was trained to use several different kinds of weapons, yes," answered Kal, "but when you have abilities like mine, carrying a sword and shield around seems a bit redundant, I think."

Slade smirked. "He's humble too."

"I wouldn't mind having a shield," said Rio. "I know that I'm strong, but I don't know if I'm bulletproof."

"New to the scene, huh?" asked Barry.

"Captain Lightning has only been an active crimefighter for about a year," said Victor, who had plugged Barry's microchip into his arm in an attempt to read it. "If you ask me, she's not ready for this type of thing."

"Well then it's a good thing you're not the only one in charge here, isn't it?" Slade taunted. "From what I heard about the Project: Platinum attack, our bad guy incapacitated the whole building in under two minutes. I think we'll need all the help we can get to take him down."

"I'm going to have to agree with Mister Wilson," said Kal. "Besides, if it gets to be too much for you, we can protect you," he said to Rio, his smile causing her to blush.

"That's _Major_ Wilson, by the way" Slade corrected Kal.

"Not for long, it's not," said Victor. "You've been on thin ice with the government for years. If this mission is a bust, you can count on finally being officially stripped of your rank. I'm surprised they've kept you around this long."

"What's your story anyway, Wilson?" asked Barry "I bet it's interesting."

"I really think it's best that you not know," Slade said, twirling a knife in his hand and giving Victor a dirty look.

"Look alive," Mercy called to them from the pilot's seat. "You jump in sixty seconds."

The five members of the Justice Alliance stood, preparing themselves for their first and possibly last mission as a team. Victor, Slade, and Barry each took a parachute, while Rio and Kal stood by. As they counted down the seconds, Mercy opened the loading ramp. On her signal, Slade shouted, "Okay, GO!"

One by one, they all jumped, and one by one, they all eventually landed.

"That was such a rush!" cried Rio. "I've never flown that high before!"

"Well, you were right, Vic. This place is certainly isolated," Barry noted, looking back and forth between the surprisingly large farmhouse in front of them and the almost out-of-sight jet.

"The homing signal is really strong," said Victor. "Platinum is definitely inside."

"Magnus and the target too. I can hear them," said Kal, "but I can't see them. Something is interfering with my x-ray vision."

"You have x-ray vision? No fair," said Rio.

Slade took the AR-15 from his back. "It's very likely that this is a trap."

"Want me to go in and see what we're up against?" offered Barry.

"No, Flash. We need to go in together, just in case we do still have the element of surprise," said Victor, converting his right arm into a small cannon.

"We don't," said Slade.

"We _might_ ," Victor asserted. "Now let's move."

Victor entered the house first, paying close attention to the strength of the tracking signal. Slade insisted on bringing up the rear.

"Guys," whispered Rio, "I don't know if I can do this. I'm not used to this kind of thing."

"You've been doing the hero thing for a year, right?" Barry responded.

"California has criminals like any other place," Rio defended herself, "but my neighborhood does _not_ have mysterious kidnappers that hide in abandoned houses and attack you with robots."

"If we play this right, there won't be any robot attack," Slade whispered angrily. "Now-"

"Oh, but there will be an attack," came a deep, distorted voice that seemed to echo through the house, "and you will be defeated, like every other foe I have faced."

"Show yourself!" shouted Victor.

"There," said Kal, looking in the direction of a staircase.

"On it," said Barry, zipping up the stairs before Victor or Slade could stop him. Seconds later, he was back. "There's nobody up there."

"Must be down here, then," said Slade, pointing his rifle at a door under the staircase.

"Flash, don't" said Victor sharply, before Barry put himself in danger again. "We go down together."

"Or we stay up here and fight that thing," said Rio, pointing to the kitchen. Standing in the doorway was Project: Platinum, looking decidedly more threatening than her picture in yesterday's debriefing.

"Directive, protect Magnus," the robot said in an artificial but distinctly feminine sounding voice.

"That's our cue," said Slade, firing at Platinum, who quickly morphed her arm into a full body shield, deflecting the bullets.

"She can shapeshift!?" cried Rio, dodging Platinum, who had lunged at her.

"Platinum is an incredibly malleable material," said Barry, who rushed in alongside Victor and started throwing punches. "I also happen to know that it has a melting point of about three thousand degrees."

"How do you know that?" asked Rio, dodging an attack that took out part of a wall.

"Not the point. My point is I bet Superior Man could top that. You've got heat vision, right?" Barry looked at Kal, who unlike everyone else, was just standing there.

"I… I don't feel…" he stammered.

"Whatever was affecting his x-ray vision seems to have gotten worse," said Slade.

"I got this," said Barry, running outside and heading in the direction the jet had gone in.

"Team, watch for weak points," called out Victor. "Whenever she extends or grows part of her platinum cover, it gets thinner. See if we can't attack her endoskeleton."

Sure enough, when Platinum extended her arm to grab Victor, Slade watched as the "skin" on her torso got visibly thinner. "Watch out, Lightning," he said to Rio as he pulled his sword out and swung it at Platinum's back.

Finally, Platinum fell, but she didn't stay down long. She darted around to look at Slade, who got an almost frightened look on his face.

"I'm back!" said Barry, who had returned carrying a weapon that looked stylistically similar to his freeze pistols, but was almost the size of Slade's assault rifle. "Watch out, folks."

Barry pointed the weapon at Platinum, blasting fire directly into her face.

"Flash, don't stop!" Victor commanded, running to hold Platinum in place. Once enough of her face had melted away, revealing her much less appealing makeshift skull, Victor yelled, "Lightning!"

"Right," Rio said, aiming a fist at the robot's exposed circuits and giving her a taste of the Living Lightning.

Barry turned off the barrage of fire, and all were silent, waiting to see what would happen.

"Direct…iv… protec… Mag…"

"Enemy down," Slade said proudly, kicking the android to the ground. "This old house is in even worse shape than when we arrived, but now we can get back to locating our main target."

"Um, I think there's someone else we should locate," said Rio, looking to where Kal had been standing. "Superior Man is gone."


	8. Magnus

"Well, what do we do?" Barry asked his teammates.

"We assess the situation," answered Victor, "so we can form a plan. A _real_ plan this time."

"Alright, I'll start," Slade said, clearly annoyed. "Obviously, this whole thing was a setup. Our bad guy didn't care about Magnus or Project: Platinum. He just wanted the Superior Man."

"Which means that our next move is to get him back, right?" asked Rio.

"First we have to secure Platinum and find Magnus," said Victor.

"She said that protecting him was her directive, right?" noted Barry. "That means he must be close by."

"What about down there?" Rio pointed to the door under the staircase. Unlike when Slade had noticed the door earlier, it was open now.

"Someone must have come out of there and snuck off with Superior Man while we were fighting the robot," Barry guessed.

Victor approached the door. "Kal?" he called. He was answered by a muffled cry, but it didn't sound like Kal. "Doctor Magnus?" Victor tried, shining a bright light into the basement and motioning for his teammates to follow him down.

The cry came again, a little louder this time. Once the team had reached the bottom of the stairs, they saw a man tied to a wall pipe, gagged with a necktie.

"Doctor Magnus!" Victor said with relief, as Barry moved to free the man.

"You're in real bad shape, Doc," said Slade, noting Magnus's many wounds. "We need to get you to Mercy."

"I'm sorry I helped him," Magnus said once Barry had taken the tie out of his mouth.

"You cracked under the pressure," Victor said with calming sincerity. "Happens to the best of us."

"Platinum. Is she okay?"

"Well," said Rio timidly, rocking back and forth on her feet, "we had to melt her face and fry her circuits, but she's still in one piece, so at least we got part of the mission right."

"Did you leave her up there? I have to make sure that-"

"No, what we _have_ to do right now," Slade interrupted him, "is get some answers. What can you tell us about this enemy, Doc?"

"Not much, I guess," Magnus answered. "He was wearing armor the whole time, so I never saw his face. Maybe he's a bounty hunter or something? He kept talking about someone named Kal L., but he never said what the L stood for."

"No, Kal-El is Superior Man's name," said Victor.

"And Superior Man is like, from outer space, right?" noted Rio. "We can't really rule out that bounty hunter angle."

"A bounty hunter from space? So what? Boba Fett kidnapped our teammate?" remarked Barry.

"Magnus, did he at least give you a name?" Victor asked the scientist, who seemed more confused than anyone.

"Yeah, he did actually," Magnus said, composing himself. "He gave it loudly too. Seemed pretty proud of himself."

"Well," said Slade, "What did he call himself?"

Magnus spoke quietly, as though he thought that speaking the name would somehow summon the villain back, "Conquest."


	9. Kal Meets Conquest

_Unknown location_

"Wake up, 'Superior Man'," Kal heard a voice say, slowly pulling him out of whatever weakness-induced pseudo-sleep he was in.

Kal was standing in some sort of cave with his hands chained above him to a low ceiling. He forced his eyes open, blinked several times, then tried to speak. "Wh… where…"

"Where are you?" the voice finished his sentence. It was deep and distorted. The same voice Kal and his team had heard right before the android attacked. As his vision started to clear, Kal could see the source of the voice: a large shadowy figure seated in front of him. "You're in my possession, Kal-El. That's all that matters."

"Who… who are you?" Kal managed to ask.

"I could ask you the same question, 'Superior Man', but my guess is you wouldn't really know the answer."

" _You_ obviously know who _I_ am" Kal noted. Now that his vision had finally cleared, he could see who he was talking to. The figure was roughly the same size as him, but this easily could have been due to all the heavy, black, jagged-edged armor that covered every inch of the figure's body, including the face. "Do _I_ know _you_?" Kal asked.

"No. No you don't, Kal-El. But you will very soon."

"Sounds like a threat."

"Good. I was worried you wouldn't pick up on that. Maybe this world hasn't dumbed you down as much as I thought it would."

"I'll show you dumb," Kal said through gritted teeth. He jerked his arms, trying to break free of his binds, but to no avail. Kal was shocked. "What… what is this?"

His captor laughed. "Show me dumb indeed! You're not going anywhere, I'm afraid. You're familiar with Kryptonite, aren't you?"

The message in the crystal from Kal's birth father had indeed mentioned Kryptonite. The event that had caused the destruction of Krypton, the home planet Kal never knew, was a solar event. The planet's sun had not only exploded and destroyed Krypton, but the event had also physically corrupted the rocky remains of the planet. Kal's father had predicted this, and warned him about the dangers of the radioactive remnants.

"The chains," Kal noted, "are Kryptonite?"

"About fifty percent, yes. I was afraid that in its pure form, it would be too much for you."

"Why not _let it_ be too much for me? Why do you need me alive?"

"Oh, you'll die, Kal-El. Just not yet. I want to watch you suffer first."

"You know what I think?" Kal asked indignantly. "I think that even if you could kill me, you would be afraid to. My team would come after you."

"And I would slaughter them where they stood," the villain snarled. "No foe has yet bested Conquest."

"So you do have a name," Kal said coyly.

"Yes I do," Conquest said in such a way that Kal could swear he _heard_ a smirk. "A name that will soon be known by every creature on this wretched world."

"The Kryptonite is what affected me at the farmhouse isn't it?" Kal changed the subject again. "Where did you get your hands on some?"

"So many questions," Conquest replied, but played along. "I must say, it wasn't easy to get the stuff. There was a lot of blood shed."

"And my friends," Kal remembered his team, "where are they?"

"Friends? Please, you've only just met them."

"Where are they?" Kal asked angrily.

"Probably still where we left them, dealing with Doctor Magnus and his toy. Don't worry, though. You'll see them very soon," Conquest said, leaning in menacingly. "I would hate for you not to get a chance to tell them goodbye."

"What does that mean? What are you planning!?" Kal demanded.

Conquest turned to leave, giving Kal no answer.

"Wait!" Kal cried, straining himself and beginning to lose consciousness again. "Please…" It was to no avail, though. Kal was alone.


End file.
